Serie A | Fiorentina 1-1 Inter: Fresh disappointment cuts lead again

Inter were held to another 1-1 draw by Fiorentina, as Cher Ndour cancelled out the early Francesco Pio Esposito header, so the lead at the top is cut to just six points.

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The Nerazzurri were feeling the pressure after Derby della Madonnina defeat and a 1-1 draw with Atalanta, as Milan and Napoli had already won this weekend. Alessandro Bastoni joined Lautaro Martinez and Henrikh Mkhitaryan on the treatment table, but Hakan Calhanoglu and Denzel Dumfries were finding fitness again. Aleksandar Kolarov stood in for suspended Cristian Chivu and Inter ultras were banned from travelling due to security concerns.

The Viola had a big week, crushing Cremonese 4-1 on Monday and winning 2-1 away to Rakow on Thursday to set up a Conference League quarter-final against Crystal Palace. Moise Kean was ready to shake off an ankle issue, but Manor Solomon, Luca Lezzerini and Tariq Lamptey were still out, with Rolando Mandragora carrying a calf twinge.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

It took just 40 seconds to break the deadlock, as a poor Robin Gosens clearance was put back into the box by Nicolò Barella from the right, finding Francesco Pio Esposito for a free header from six yards.

39 seconds in and Inter take lead

Brilliant header from Esposito and the league leaders are ahead

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Gosens nearly gave away another moments later, his clearance going straight up into the air from a Marcus Thuram run, allowing Esposito to test David De Gea from point-blank range.

Kean was offside when failing to tap in from a Gosens cross, as was Barella when finding the net on a Denzel Dumfries assist.

Inter had penalty appeals on eight minutes for a potential Marin Pongracic handling offence, but the referee and VAR considered the arm in a natural position.

Yann Sommer took the sting out of a Kean curler, then Esposito sprung the offside trap for an angled drive to skim the base of the far post.

Albert Gudmundsson’s glancing header on a Dodo cross also flashed inches wide, as it struck his shoulder on the way through.

Yann Bisseck’s desperate block prevented Kean tapping in the Gudmundsson roll across from six yards, then on the resulting corner Kean came sliding in at the back post just unable to get onto the Marco Brescianini assist from point-blank range.

Sommer came rushing out to deny Fabiano Parisi, then again as Kean had sent Cher Ndour through on goal.

Kean had the ball in the net with a volley, but was offside when Nicolò Fagioli’s effort from outside the area took a big deflection off Carlos Augusto to loop up into his path.

The tempo was less frantic after the restart, Manuel Akanji and Thuram unable to keep headers on target from set plays.

Fiorentina had a big chance to equalise on 71 minutes when Sommer got down to parry the first-time Ndour strike from the edge of the area, Bisseck crucial to prevent Brescianini tapping in the rebound.

Fagioli also scuffed a volley wide and Kean only grazed the Dodo cross with his head, as the pressure paid off when Sommer got down to only palm a Gudmundsson angled drive into the path of Ndour at the back post.

Jack Harrison also bent a left-foot strike just wide of the far post, while Akanji off balance could only prod into De Gea’s arms after a corner.

With the last kick of the game, Esposito managed to control the Acerbi cross with his back to goal and turn Luca Ranieri to shoot, but was denied by a great De Gea reaction save.

Fiorentina 1-1 Inter

Esposito 1 (I), Ndour 77 (F)